Fixture for electric lamps



July 7, 1931- c. A. B, HALvoRsoN 1,813,799

FIXTURE Fon ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Nov. 1'?. 192s Inventor: Cromwell Ai-Ielvorson, bg M H'Ls Attorney.

Patented July 7, 1931 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv CROMWELL A. IB. HALVORSON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FIXTURE FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS Application led November 17, 1928. Serial No. 820,141.

- for use in connection with street or highway lighting. One of the objects of the invention is to provide in the ixturea'body or being holder of ceramic material, such as porcelain, within which adjustable socket terminals' of special construction are housed, and through the Walls of which holder connections are made from thel terminals to outside line terminals.- Another object of the invention is to provide the holder with an improved form of metal cap to which the holder is secured, the cap being ared to form a skirt to protect the upper portion of the holder from the Weather. Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing a reflector to the lower portion of the holder. This last feature is the subject matter of my divisional application, Serial No. 394,099, filed Septem er 20,1929.

However, the invention in all its details will be more fully understood from the fols lowing specification and claims, reference had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a section in elevation through the fixture, and Fig. 2 shows an enlarged section of the holder with a lamp socket in position therein. In Figure 2 the adjusting mechanism is shown in an inverted position from that shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the fixture comprises a container, holder or casing element 2, which is preferably made of porcelain. This container is provided with a skirt 3 near the mid portion. Just below this skirt there are provided binding posts 4 and 5, one on either side of the container. These binding posts are in threaded engagement with metal terminals 6 and 7 within the holder. The terminal 6 comprises an arm b which extends along the inner surface of casing 2 and an anguLarly extending arm d, and the terminal 7 comprises an arm a which extends along the inner surface of casing 2 and an angularly extending arm c. Clamped between the binding posts 4 and 5 and the holder I provide tie lugs 8 and 9 respectively. Each tie lug is provided with a double stirrup arrangement eachhaving an outer loop such as the loops l() and 11, and an inner loop such as the loops 12 and 13, both of which loops close in upon the base portion of the tie lug which is inserted between the binding post and the porcelain. With this arrangement it is possible to bring in the line leads one to the terminal 4 and the other to the terminal 5, threading them irst through the stirrup portions of their corresponding terminals.

The holder is provided with a metal cap 14 which is secured in any suitable manner to the holder 2, such as, for example, by means of heavy screws which project through the cap along the region just above the skirt 15 and engage holes in the holder 2. The cap 14 may be secured in any suitable manner to a support, but preferably the cap is provided with threads 16 which may be screwed to an iron pipe, for example, as,v a support.

The refiector 17 is provided with a collar section 17 which fits into the lower cavity of the holder. On the outside of the holder I provide a metal band 18 which is threaded and through which, and through corresponding holes in the porcelain the screws project to engage and hold the collar 17 of the reflector. v

Vithin the holder the terminals 6 and 7 are provided each respectively with spring contacts 19 and 20, each of which is electrically secured to the corresponding terminal arms 0l and 0. The lamp socket 21 is also provided with spring contacts 22 and 23. The socket 21 may be inserted in position as indicated in Fig. 1 by forcing the spring contacts 22 and 23 in between the spring contacts 19 and 20. When this is done the spring contacts 19 and 20 are separated and the lamp 24 is thus connected in series with ,the terminals 4l and 5. An element of insulating material 25 is interposed between the spring contacts 22 and 23. This element serves as a series cutout which, if the lamp 24 burns out, breaks down and establishes a series circuit through the fixture. The arms a and b are provided each with a series of threaded holes 26, 27, 28,

and 29 in addition to the threaded holes engaged by the binding posts 4 and 5 so that the spring contacts 19 and 20 may be adjusted along the axis of the fixture above or below the axis of support through'the binding posts 4 and 5 with the arms a and b pointing up or down. This arrangement enables the socket 21 to be adjusted within the holder along the axis of the fixture to accommodate lamps of different lengths.

In Fig. 2 the terminals 6 and 7 are shown inverted so that the socket Q1 is thus placed in the maximum raised position.

It will be seen, therefore, that I provide an improved lighting unit fixture in which the porcelain element is provided with a skirt for enabling water, for example, in the case of rain,\to drip from the skirt rather than run down the sides. In this way a higher condition of insulation is maintained between the terminals 4 and 5 and the cap 14. In a similar way the skirt 15" on the cap 14 increases the insulation between the same terminals and the cap 14. The fixture has in addition this advantage that by providing the metal band 18 for the screws which support the reflector 17, the porcelain body 2 is relieved of any lateral strain, the strain being taken altogether by the band 18. The only strain that is placed upon the holder is the strain due to the weight of the reflector.

It will be understood that while I have elected to describe my invention in connection with the specific form of apparatus shown, I do not wish to be so limited inasmuch as in View of the disclosure other variations and modifications are contemplated which do not depart from the spirit 0f the invention and which fall within the scope of the claims contained herein.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a.-lighting fixture, the combination of a casing, terminals in the casing each comprising an arm which extends alongthe inner Wall of thecasing and an arm which project-s at an angle thereto toward the center of the casing, said lirst-named arms being adjustable along the wall of the casing, spring contacts carried by the ends of said angularly projecting arms, and binding posts which extend through the casing and engage said first-named armsto hold the terminals in adjusted position and to make electrical contact therewith.

'extend through the casing and are ada ted center of the casing, said lirstnamed arms being provided with a series of spaced openings, spring contacts carried by the ends. of said angularl-y projecting arms, and binding posts which extend through the casing and are adapted to engage selected openings 1n said tirst-named arms to hold the terminals in adjusted positions, said spring contacts being detachably connected to said angularly projecting arms whereby they. may be located on either side of the same.

4.' In a lighting fixture, the combination of a casing, terminals in the casing each comprising an arm which extends along the inner wall of the casing and an arm which projects at an angle thereto toward the center of the casing, said lirst-named arms being adjustable along the wall of the casing, spring contacts carried by the ends of said angularly projecting arms, binding, posts which extend through the casing and engage said first-named arms to hold the terminals in adjusted position and to make electrical contact therewith, and means supported by said binding posts on the outside of the casing to which a lead wire may be fastened for relieving strain on the binding posts.

5. In a lighting fixture, the combination of a casing, terminals in the casing each comprising an arm which extends along the inner wall of the casing and an arm which projects at an angle thereto toward the center of the casing, said first-named arms being adjustable along the wall of the casing, spring contacts carried by the ends of said angularly projecting arms, binding posts which extend through the casing and engage said first-named arms to hold the terminals in adjusted position and to make electrical contact therewith, and strain relieving loops supported by said binding posts.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of November, 1928.

CROMWVELL A. B. HALVORSON.

. 2. In a lighting fixture, the combination of a casing, terminals in the casing each comprising an arm which extends along the inner wall of the casing and an arm which project-s at an angle thereto toward the center of the casingA said first-named arms being provided with a series of yspaced openings, spring contacts carried lby the ends of said angularly projecting arms; and binding posts which 

